


The Ghost of You

by Dicey101



Category: Lord of the Rings RPF, The Hobbit, The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Durincest, Fiki, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-28
Updated: 2014-02-23
Packaged: 2018-01-10 09:40:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1158111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dicey101/pseuds/Dicey101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fili dies when Kili is very young. Kili grows up never understanding why he still thinks about his golden brother every single day of his life. He shortly finds out the reason.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry I suck at summariesss!!! ughhh
> 
> but I hope you enjoy it and please give me some feedback, good or bad, constructive crit is always much appreciated! :) 
> 
> Also, I would LOVE some ideas for more chapters!!

Fili died when Kili was just a toddler, only ten. Fili had been fourteen; coming into his rebellious teen years. 

Kili can barely remember him. Sometimes in his mind there’s a quick flash of blond hair, running through the woods, jumping over logs and into pills of rust colored leaves. Or it’s a shock of blue eyes, staring intently at a frog on the ground, or studying uncle Thorin. That’s always the extent of it. He sees him mostly in his dreams, or when some little thing in his daily grind reminds him of his long lost brother. 

His whole life people had told him how amazing his brother had been, even at such a young age. Kili knew, of course he knew. He would never, could never forget Fili, as hard as he might have tried. Fili would always be there, dancing around in his mind in one corner or another. Although slowly, oddly, he was becoming evanescent, even Dis and Thorin, and it seemed to be the whole village, was getting over his death. 

~

Kili blinked, coming out of his daydream. He cursed himself, he had been thinking about Fili again. He needed to stop doing that. It had been 30 years. He finished up the dishes Dis had assigned him and wiped off his hands with a clean but worn washcloth. He moved and grabbed a dented cup out of the old, wooden cupboard and poured himself an ale. 

Kili sat down at the small table and took a long pull. He sighed out heavily. There was only one thing to do when Fili came back into his head and wouldn’t leave.

~

Kili pulled on his thick blue leather jacket with the cozy fur interior. He smiled at the immediate comfort and pride he felt. It had taken him months of working at the forge with uncle to save up for such a garment, and he felt proud of himself. Dis had said she would make one for him, spare him the coin, but he had refused. He wouldn’t make his mother work that hard, callousing her fingers more so than they already were.

He grabbed his boots and slipped them on, the fall had gotten bitterly cold, requiring the residents of the village to bundle up before leaving their homes.   
Kili packed himself some green tea in a sheepskin and left his and Dis’ cottage. He closed the door behind him and stepped out into the frigid air, smiling as the wind began nipping at his cheeks. 

Kili took a deep breath, filling his lungs with sweet autumn air before beginning to walk towards the forest, towards the river where Fili had drown.

~

Fili had died on a cold, fall day, similar to the one Kili was experiencing now. Thorin had decided the boys were old enough and responsible enough to go hunting. 

“They’re too young to hunt, Thorin,” Dis had said to him as she cooked dinner, stopping to give him a warning look. He laughed wholeheartedly and set down the mug he was drinking from, “Sister,” he began, “you’re never to young to learn how to hunt.” 

“Something could go wrong, brother, they’re children.” She stopped what she was doing and stared at her older brother. He chuckled again, “Dis, I was five when papa took me out hunting.” 

She gave him a funny look, “you were older than that,” and she turned back to the wood burning stove. “And do you know where you were?” He asked, ignoring her last remark.

“Not this again,” she mumbled. “You were right on papa’s back, in a small burlap sac mama had fashioned for you.” Dis could hear the smile on Thorin’s face as he spoke. She turned away from the stove and strode toward a chair and took a seat heavily. Dis planted her face in her hands. 

“Okay,” she muttered. 

“Hmm? What was that?” Thorin smirked. “I said okay,” she repeated. 

Thorin beamed, “ah Dis, you make me the happiest dwarf.” He moved the get up but she reached across the table and took his arm, “just,” she began, “be careful.” 

And so, Thorin ran upstairs to his nephews’ room, bounding in and breaking the news to them joyfully. 

“Reweay, uncle Fowin,” Kili beamed, he had just lost his two front teeth, and he had quite a comical lisp.   
Thorin laughed, partly from excitement and partly caused by his adorable little Kili. 

“Yes! Your mother finally agreed, the stubborn dwarf that she is..” 

“Yay!” The two boys shouted in unison, jumping across their untidy beds and into Thorin’s open arms. He spun them around with ease, a part of him knowing he wouldn’t be able to do it for much longer. 

“You boys are getting so big,” Thorin huffed and plunked them down on one of the small, messy beds. 

“Okay, let’s pack!” That was the first time he had seen his nephews get so excited, little did he know, it was also the last. 

~

Kili walked through the forest, his at first springy steps had now turned sullen and slow. He walked through fallen leaves, remembering how Fili used to love them.

“Kili, all summer, the leaves feed the tree, and then, once fall comes, the tree doesn’t need them anymore, so it lets them go.” Kili can barely hear his brother’s voice in his head anymore, but a bit of it remains. Kili had cried when Fili told him that, thinking that the tree didn’t love the leaves anymore.   
“No, no,” Fili had hurriedly tried to calm his sobbing baby brother, “no, Kee, the tree loves the leaves very much, that’s why he lets them go, so they can be free. He does it for them.”   
Kili had stopped sniffling and he stared up at his brother with wide, brown eyes. “Will you always love me, Fee? Even if you let me go?”   
Fili started, taken aback by his little Kili’s sudden seriousness. He thought for a moment, picking up a sunset orange leaf and twirling it. He needed an answer that Kili would understand.  
“Yes,” he began, dropping the leaf and pulling Kili into his lap, “yes, I will always love you, even if I leave you.” 

Kili stopped in his tracks and picked up an orange leaf, he stared at it intently and wondered. “It’s almost like he knew...” he whispered softly. 

 

~

They left the cottage early in the morning, but not before Dis made her boys eat a big bowl of apple porridge each; which they complained about. She made them have two sausages and a glass of orange juice too.

“If you two are hunting, you’re going to need to keep your strengths up!” Dis exclaimed, not seeming very pleased at all. Thorin laid a hand on Dis’ shoulder and she jumped, “nervous?” He asked, concern laced in his voice.

“How can I not be?” She asked back. They looked upon the two brother’s, gulping down their food with vigor; turning now and then to smile at each other anxiously.

“A mother always worries, Dis, it’s only natural.” Thorin said reassuringly. Dis smiled, not taking her eyes off the boys, “I know.” 

 

Out the door they went, the two excited little dwarves and their even more excited uncle. Dis waved goodbye to them until they entered the forest which was visible from their home. As soon as they entered into the realm of trees and bushes, Thorin pulled out a bow for Kili, shaped just for a child of his age. The brown haired toddler’s mouth formed an ‘O’. “Rweay? For me?” 

Thorin smiled, his heart warming, “yes, of course.” Thorin let Kili marvel over his new gift and moved to Fili.   
“My brave Fili, my lion,” Thorin began, and Fili beamed, “for you, I have two daggers that I forged just for you.” 

The oldest dwarf drew the two shiny knives out of his bag, and handed them to Fili gently. Fili looked up at his uncle and back at the daggers, noticing little etchings on the sides. Thorin noticed him eying the intricate designs. “Those are some of the old runes from the walls of our real home, Erebor,” he said, watching his oldest nephew’s eyes light up. 

“Uncle...” Fili started, but couldn’t finish, instead he launched himself into a Thorin’s arms. “You’re welcome,” Thorin laughed, giving his nephew a tight embrace back. 

 

~

Kili continued walking. Boots stepping over hard, almost frozen ground. He stayed on the path until the sun had fallen partway behind the trees, then he veered off to the right, just as uncle had taught him what seemed like a thousand years ago. He walked for another twenty minutes, humming old pub songs to himself. He stopped every once and a while to pluck a leaf off the ground, as he had done with the earlier one. He’d press them into a journal he had brought with him, making mental note to write about them later; then he’d continue on his way. 

Finally he reached the parting in the trees that meant the path to the river. He listened closely and heard the soft trickling of the water, and his heartbeat sped up.   
He stopped to compose himself, breathing deeply. It was always so painful to come here, but he knew he had too. It was the only way Fili would leave him be. He didn’t really know why. 

“You can do this, this is not the first time.” Kili said to himself. Somehow, he thought, today felt.. different. He willed himself to move, move past the trees and into the clearing that was the river bed. He realized dumbly that he had closed his eyes, and he opened them quickly. His gut wrenched and he doubled over. 

“Stop,” he whispered, “you’re acting childish.” But he couldn’t help the tears that stung his eyes. 

“Thirty years, it’s been thirty years.” He tried to convince himself, but in dwarf time, thirty years was hardly anything. Kili was in the last stages of adolescence.   
He opened his eyes and stared at the small, polished stones beneath him, willing them to calm him. Eventually it worked, and he stood up, trudging over to the very edge of the icy river and sitting down again. 

“Ahh,” he hissed, wincing in pain as he moved his hand. He looked down, noticing that he must of cut his palm when he fell to the ground just a few moments ago.   
A tear fell onto his hand, and he laughed without mirth, realizing that he had let himself cry. 

“idiot,” he mumbled under his breath as he plunged his hand into the crystalline water. 

“Hello,” a voice said behind him. He jumped slightly and turned around, seeing big boots, similar to his. Kili let his eyes travel up the - he assumed - man’s body, finally resting on his face. The man’s face was friendly and handsome, but he looked confused; and oddly familiar. 

“Do I ... know you?” Kili asked, bewildered. The man motioned to the ground beside Kili, as if asking to sit down. Kili nodded. The mysterious man sat down, keeping a friendly distance from Kili. Kili looked at him strangely, and that’s when it hit him. 

After all, he could never forget those piercing blue eyes and that tawny blond hair.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I take off the Major Character Death? Like does that even count when they're a ghost?? :P
> 
> Anyway, tell me what you think please! :)

“Fee, look!” Little Kili shouted, pointing at a deer not far from them in the forest. The fawn looked up at them and stilled, and before Kili could even think to pull out his brand new bow, the creature ran off. 

The two dwarf lads gave a disappointed sigh. “Rule number one of hunting,” Thorin said, a smile on his face, “you must be quiet.” The pack of three walked on through the forest. Little to no words were said, Thorin found this quite amusing. 

Throughout that day, Thorin taught them how to properly walk, as to not crunch as many twigs and leaves with their big dwarf feet. He taught them how to use their weapons properly, and how to hide them from enemies. He knew he was going to get a stern talking-to from Dis later, but it was something his lads were going to have to learn eventually, so why not now? 

On they walked, until the morning light had faded into that of the afternoon. “Alright boys, let’s head down to the river, there might be some deer there.”   
They took a small, barely visible path down to the water, and sure thing, there was a whole pack of deer drinking from the crystal water on the side opposite of them.   
Thorin looked down at his boys. Fili and Kili were staring wide-eyed at the pack of deer, not knowing what to do. 

“Fili,” the king spoke, Fili tore his gaze away from the riverbank to look at his uncle. “Remember what I taught you, go.”   
Fili’s eyes got wider, “really uncle, may I?” 

Thorin grinned, “yes, be quiet.” Fili nodded and unsheathed his daggers quickly and deftly, and Thorin beamed with pride at his nephew.   
Fili walked closer to the bank of the river, feet moving swiftly. Kili watched with awe, proud of his big brother. 

Fili wadded into the water, and Kili watched as his face contorted and he hissed. The water must have been freezing. But that didn’t stop the young dwarf, and he kept walking. It had started to rain slightly. “You stay here and stay quiet,” Thorin had said to Kili, “I must go catch a rabbit before the rain scares them into hiding.”   
Kili barely nodded, focused solely on his brother. 

Kili can’t remember what happened next fully, it was all a blur and happened so fast. The rain picked up, causing the river to rise. Kili should have shouted to Fili, asked him, no, commanded him out of the water. But he couldn’t. He wanted his brother to catch a deer. 

It seemed like Fili took no notice of the rise in water or the speed becoming more rapid, his mind was set on killing a deer, making uncle proud... impressing Kili.   
Kili turned around to look for a sign of Thorin, but he could scarcely see through the downpour. 

When he turned around, Fili was gone, and so were the deer. “Fee!!” The youngest screamed, searching around frantically for his brother. He ran to the river bank and looked into the water for a sign of blond hair. He was too terrified to step into the icy water. 

He screamed his brother’s name until Thorin came back and found him, lying on the ground beside the river bank, soaking wet from rain and tears; voice hoarse. 

~

Kili woke up, the sky was a cold blue, orange sprouting up and slowly taking over the sky.

“Unnnhh,” he moaned, sitting up. His whole body was freezing and his head hurt. He thought for a moment, remembered his dream and laughed. What a strange dream. There’s no way Fili would look like that if he were still alive, he was far to gorg-

“What’s so funny?” 

Kili stood up and spun around, and there was the man from his dream. “Oh god that wasn’t a dream?” Kili whined. The man’s face fell. “Oh no I didn’t mean...”   
Kili could barely speak. This could not be real. Fili is dead. 

“K-Kili?” the man said. “No,” Kili said, “no it cannot be you. You.. are dead.” The man, Fili, stuck out his arms in a defeated gesture and gave Kili a small, unsure smile.   
“Ohhhh, no” Kili felt as if he were going to faint. Quickly Fili rushed over to try to steady the other, but his hands went straight through him. Kili yelped at the sight of that, and fell straight on his arse. “I- I’m sorry...” Fili mumbled. 

“So, so you’re a ghost,” Kili spoke, looking up at what he supposed was his long lost brother.

“I guess I am.” 

“What... what does it feel like?” 

Fili looked at Kili, and then down at himself, a puzzled look on his face. 

“It feels cold, but a comforting cold, like the first cool night of autumn.” Fili spoke after a few moments. Kili’s breath caught in his throat, god, Fili’s ghost was hauntingly handsome... he shook his head at the thought. 

“Oh..” the darker mumbled, “does it..?” 

“Hurt?” 

Kili nodded.

“No, I feel calm.” 

Kili nodded again. Fili finally tore his eyes away from his body and looked at his brother, “I would help you up but...” 

“Yeah, it’s alright, I think I’ll just stay here for now thanks.” 

“Right.. I’m terribly sorry.” 

Kili looked away, angry now. “Stop saying sorry.” 

“Sorry... I mean, um..” Fili sat down near the other. Kili glanced at him briefly and returned his gaze to the water. Kili wanted to know if Fili had been a ghost this whole time why he hadn’t showed himself earlier, let Kili know he was there. 

“I- I haven’t been like this for long,” Fili mumbled, seeming to read his brother’s mind. The blond tried to pick up some pebbles from the shore, but they went through his hands, barely being disrupted. 

Kili made a confused face and Fili continued, “I haven’t the slightest idea how I got here... why I’m.. a ghost, I suppose.” Kili nodded and looked away, fingering the stones underneath him. 

“Everything was black before this... I was just here suddenly... and then I saw you.” Kili glanced at Fili and saw a small smile on his pale face. The youngest tore his gaze away from his brother and placed it on the sky. It was getting dark. 

“I should head home now.” He muttered and saw Fili flinch at the word “home”. 

“Yes you should...” Fili began, he paused and looked helpless for a moment before he replaced the look with carelessness. “Will you come back soon?” 

Kili hesitated and stood. He wanted to come back, he really did. But could he? Was this all some crazy dream? There was only one way to find out. 

“Yeah... I’ll come back,” he locked his eyes with Fili’s in an unspoken promise.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kili does some much needed research

“Balin! Balin!” Kili panted, running down the long stone hallway to catch up to his elder. Balin turned around and smiled widely at Kili. 

“Kili, what is it lad?” 

“Balin,” Kili tried to catch his breath, “I need you to tell me what you know about ghosts.” Balin looked at the younger dwarf for a moment before bursting into a fit of laughter. 

“Ah, yer getting funnier and funnier as you get older, Kili.” Balin went to continue on his way, adjusting the books and papers under his arm. “No, Balin,” Kili put his hand on the older’s shoulder, and he turned around. “What lad?”

Balin studied Kili closely and his face contorted from happy to worried, “oh no.” 

~

Balin took Kili down a long corridor into a gigantic, rustic looking library. The library had tall stone walls and two massive fireplaces on either side, alive with huge roaring fires. There were wooden tables and chairs littered around the room in an orderly fashion; and save for a few dwarves here and there, the library was empty.

“Now lad, I don’t know a heck of a lot about ghosts,” Balin stated, walking deeper into the library, into the rows upon rows of towering bookshelves, “but I certainly know where to find books about them.” 

Balin stopped in front of a particular bookshelf, this one was painted a deep purple colour, it almost looked like velvet. “This shelf has everything you need to know about ghosts, magic, necromancy, those sorts of things.”

Kili nodded, “thank you Balin.” He reached up to run his hand across the books, but Balin grabbed his arm. “Kili,” he said in a lowered voice, “you best be careful, these aren’t things to be played with.” Kili looked into Balin’s eyes and saw nothing but care and love and concern.. but also a bit of fear. 

“Don’t you worry, Mister Balin, I know what I’m doing.” 

~

Kili spent a while picking out books from the velvet shelf and placing them in a basket that the library provided. He chose any book that sounded interesting: “Ghosts for Imbeciles”, “Ghosts, Gremlins and Ghouls”, “The Untamed Spirit”, “The Guide to Ghosts and Otherworldly Beings” to name a few.

Most of them were written in dwarvish and many other foreign, most likely dead languages. After twenty minutes, Kili had ten old, worn books in the basket. He was just about to leave the aisle and the bookshelf behind when something caught his eye. He turned his head and noticed a book, bound in old black leather and falling apart, he pulled it slowly off the shelf, dust falling all around him. On the cover, in intricate gold lettering the book read: “Necromancy: the Dark Magic of the Dead”  
Kili flipped through it quickly, shrugged, and placed it in the basket. He tried to ignore the strange eeriness that had come over him. 

~

That night in his chambers, Kili read through the stack of books he had placed on his night stand, eyes frantically scanning over every page; taking in the words, side notes, pictures and tips. He made notes in his journal, quick and hurried, and he silently prayed he would be able to read his own hand writing tomorrow.  
Most of the authors of the books had different opinions and ideas as to why ghosts lingered, why they decided to show themselves, timing of appearances, those sorts of things. Kili wrote it all down, knowing that him and Fili would have to try many theories and ideas before they found understanding. 

Kili paused, “what am I even doing?” He asked himself in a whisper. He let his head fall into his hands and ran them down his face. He sighed. 

He was tired, angry, and upset, but more than anything he was confused. “Exactly,” he mumbled, “I’m confused!” 

Kili picked back up his feather and notebook and continued writing and reading. He was looking for answers, and answers he was going to find. 

~ 

In the morning, Kili awoke to the sound of his mother cooking breakfast. He smiled as the smell of eggs and bacon soon filled his room. He rolled over and smacked his face on something hard. 

“Ah,” he hissed, bringing his hand to his face, “what on earth?...” The dark haired dwarf sat up in bed and looked down, books and scattered paper and his journal lie all around him in his bed. 

And then he remembered. Fili. 

Kili leaped out of bed and threw on some clothes, tripping and yelping as he pulled on his breeches. He shoved his journal and a few books in his sac and raced out of his room. 

 

“Well, don’t you look like you’ve just seen a ghost!” Dis said as Kili came barreling into the kitchen. Kili stopped and looked at her, wide eyed, but the look on her face told her she was just kidding around, so he laughed. 

“Ah, ahahaha, funny.” He mumbled, shoving a small roll of bread from the table into his mouth. 

“Hey, those are for breakfast, which isn’t ready yet,” his mother said, frying eggs in a big cast iron pan. 

“About that,” Kili managed around the bread in his mouth, “I need breakfast to go.” 

She turned to him, “Oh? and why’s that?” 

The younger swallowed too much roll and it went down dryly. “Be-because I’m practicing my archery!” He moved and grabbed his bow and pack arrows off the wall near the door and smiled at his mother. 

“Well then you can eat breakfast at the table before you go.” She smiled and turned back to the stove.

Kili internally groaned but pulled up a chair and sat himself down in it with a thud. 

 

He finished breakfast quickly when it was served, gulping down a glass of orange juice and shoveling eggs and bacon into his mouth at top speed. Needless to say, he was excited. 

“Thanks mum!” He said and planted a quick kiss on her cheek before racing out the door; backpack and bow slapping against his back. 

“What illness has hit him now?” Thorin asked, staring after his nephew with a bewildered expression. 

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say love,” Dis chuckled. 

~   
Kili ran through the forest, faster than he ever had before. He raced to the river and dropped his bow and arrows on the ground, pulling his backpack off and searching through it’s contents. 

He found his journal and flipped through it, finding the particular page he wanted for this day. 

“Fili?” He called, “are you here?” 

“Yes,” a voice came from behind him. He yelped and turned around, taking in the sight of Fili. “You have to stop doing that.” 

“Sorry,” he smiled at Kili. Kili lost all train of thought when he did that, and just stared for a while. He remembered his journal, opened in his hands. 

“Uh, right, okay Fili, today we’re going to find out why you’re here.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this is such a short chapter!! Just call it a filler chapter. I just haven't been very inspired lately so, I figured I'd give you guys what I've done so far. Please leave some comments and ideas and help me get inspired!!   
> Nevertheless I hope you enjoy it! :)

The brothers spent the whole morning, afternoon, and better part of the evening reading from Kili’s journal and deducing why Fili might have appeared. 

“Okay,” Kili said, looking up at the clear blue sky, “you’re going to need to really think.” 

“I don’t know if I’m going to be able to do that,” Fili smiled a devilish grin. “Haha,” Kili mumbled. 

“Okay, seriously, I can think.” 

“Good,” the youngest said, flipping to a certain page in his journal, “it says here that a lot of ghosts appear because they have unfinished business.” 

Fili laughed, “right.” 

“Fili I’m trying to help you...and me.” Kili looked at him with a straight face. “Okay, um, well, I’ve always wanted to catch a deer.” Kili flinched at those words, thoughts of that day so many years ago came flooding back into his head. 

“I can help you with that!” He exclaimed, pushing those memories to the back of his mind. Fili’s face lit up, “you can?” Kili nodded and stood up from the old, hollow log he had been sitting on. He walked to the path in which he had come to the river and picked up his bow that he had dropped there earlier. “Of course I can.” 

~

“Alright, most deer are on the other side of the river,” Kili muttered, standing at the very edge of the water. “Got it,” Fili said, and wadded his way in with ease, “ah, come on in, water’s lovely,” he joked. Kili scoffed. When the oldest was done gloating about his funniness, he stared at Kili, “why aren’t you moving?”

Kili looked up at him and Fili saw the panic in his eyes. “I- I can’t, I can’t do it.” He moved his eyes back the the water and backed up. “Yes you can Kee, it’ll be quick, come on.” 

“No.” He had said the nickname. He said it. Kee. What he used to call him all those years ago. “Kili, Kili look at me, not the river, look at me.” Kili closed his eyes and opened them on his brother’s. He took a step forward, and then another, and soon he was in the water. 

“That’s it, just keep your eyes on me,” Fili said, walking backwards. Kili sped up to keep up with the ghost. Before he knew it they had reached the other side. “See, that wasn’t so hard.” Fili beamed at his brother. “For you maybe,” Kili rolled his eyes and walked into the forest, getting his bow ready. 

~

“Kili, do you really think this is going to work, why would I be here for something as small as a dear? Wouldn’t you think it would have to be deeper than that?”   
Fili said, walking through the forest, trailing behind Kili. 

“Well, it’s worth a chance, isn’t it?” The youngest stopped walking and put his finger to his lips. Fili rolled his eyes, great, he thought, he’s in the hunting mood now.

“Fili,” came a whisper. 

“Hmm,”

“You need to help me.”

Fili sighed and walked forward, not making a sound as he walked over leaves and twigs which should’ve crunched under his weight.. if he weren’t weightless. Kili looked over at him, his brother, but not really his brother. Standing so close. He couldn’t help but think that he should be able to feel him; feel his warmth, hear his heart. He shook his head, “okay, find a dear and.. um... yeah I don’t know how we’re going to do this.” 

Fili pursed his lips, “me neither.” Kili looked up at the sky through the branches of tall trees all around them. He liked to look at the sky as he thought. “Let’s still try it, yeah? It’s not like we’re going to run out of time.” 

Fili nodded and they walked on, deeper into the forest. It took them five minutes to spot a deer, eating away at the lush green leaves of a bush. Kili smiled widely and equipped his bow with an arrow and pulled it taut. 

“No!” Fili shouted, and the deer ran off, deeper into the underbrush. 

“Fili! Why’d you do that?” 

“I just couldn’t stand the thought of you killing that deer. Did you see it’s eyes?”

Kili stared at his brother with an unpleased look on his face. “How are we ever going to figure this out Fili?” Fili looked down and shrugged. 

Kili bent down and picked up a rust coloured leaf from the ground and twirled it between his calloused fingers. “It’s beautiful isn’t it?” Fili almost whispered. Kili jumped a little, not noticing Fili had been watching him. He gave the ghost a questioning look. 

“Life,” the blonde uttered, seemingly mesmerized by the leaf in his brother’s hand. Kili lost his breath and his words and let a single tear fall.


	5. Chapter 5

“I think I should stay,” Fili said, as the two men crossed the river.

Kili dipped his fingers in the water and rinsed the dirt off; there always seemed to be dirt on his hands, maybe it came with being a man.“I think you should too,” the younger said, looking up at his brother and realizing how much he’s missed him.“You’re finally back and I don’t want you to leave me again,” he said it before he could stop himself.

Fili paused and looked deeply into Kili’s eyes, “I don’t want to leave you alone again.”

Kili almost fell head first into the crystal water below him. ‘W-well,” he stuttered, trying to regain his thoughts, “we should still try and figure out the reason you’re here.”

“Yes,” Fili agreed and stepped out of the river, Kili following closely behind him. _clink clink._

“Hmm,” Kili mumbled, looking down, there was a key on the ground on the riverbank; he had kicked it with his shoe. He picked it up, studying the piece of metal. It looked old and rustic, it was a skeleton key, “huh.”

“What did you find?” Fili walked back to where his brother was standing. “A key,” Kili said, still studying the metal. Fili looked at the key strangely, like he had seen it before. “What are you going to do with it?”

“Keep it,” Kili smiled, shoving the key into his pocket. Fili smirked.

The two went back to studying from Kili’s journal, Kili sitting on his log, reading everything out to his ghost brother. Fili sitting on the ground, watching Kili closely as he read, getting lost in the way his lips moved and the sun shone onto his brown locks; making them look almost auburn.

The day was quickly over, the sun setting beautifully behind the trees of the forest. “I should head home,” Kili said, “I’ll read some more tonight and make a plan of what we should do tomorrow.” He started to pack up his things, “what if I’m not here tomorrow?” Fili asked, trying to joke but he was worried about his question, he didn’t know how those things worked.

Kili smirked, “try to be.”

 

~

 

On his way back through the forest Kili caught a few rabbits to take home to his mother so she would think he was actually out hunting. He was home shortly before dark.

“You were out a while,” Dis said as her son came through the front door. He smiled, “I like the woods.” His mother smiled her beautiful smile, “ay, I know.”

Kili put the rabbits down on the table. Dis gave him a look. No way that’s all he could’ve caught all day, she knew he was more skilled than that. “Aren’t you going to thank me?” He asked with a playful grin before planting a kiss on her cheek.

“Yes,” Dis laughed, “after you skin them.” Kili laughed also and washed his hands in the wash basin. “Okay.” He took the rabbits to the side and began to strip away at them, doing all the necessary things Dis had taught him to do. Skin, salt, hang and smoke: those parts came later. He was skinning the last rabbit and whistling a tune when Dis asked him to put the others away and save that one, she would add it to the stew tonight. Kili took the other rabbits to the smokehouse in the back of their house and hung them up for another night.

“Look what I found,” Dis said as he reentered the house. She held up a key, bloodied and grimy. “Ew, was that inside.. the rabbit?” Kili asked, taking the key from his giggling mother. He rinsed it off. It resembled the one he had found earlier. He reached into his pocket and felt it. “Hmm,” he mumbled, “curious.”

Kili walked up to his room, “dinner will be ready soon,” Dis called after him, “tell your uncle!” The youngest knocked on Thorin’s door as he passed, “dinner soon,” he said and continued down the hall to his own room.

Kili entered his room and shut the door behind him. He found in his bedside table a thin piece of leather, he put the keys on it and tied it around his neck; it hung loosely. He washed up for dinner and went back downstairs.

 

~

 

Later that night he lit a fire in his stone fireplace and went through the stack of books he had borrowed from the great library. He had read most of them the previous night.. all except one: Necromancy. Kili held the old black book in his hands and tilted it back and forth, watching as the fire light played with the gold lettering; making it flash and twinkle.

He placed the other books near his door as a reminder to return them soon, then he crawled into bed and opened the book. He was taken aback by the sudden shiver that went down his spine, but he thought nothing of it and continued on. He read all night until he fell asleep, the book open in his lap on a page titled: “Skeleton Keys.”

 

~

 

“Kili, what is this?” Kili woke to his uncle’s voice above him. “Mmmm,” he mumbled sleepily and turned over in his bed, tangled in his sheets and blankets. “Answer me,” Thorin sounded angry.

Kili opened his eyes and squinted at the brightness of the room. He looked up at his uncle who was holding the Necromancy book. “It’s just a book.”

“No, it’s not just a book, Kili, it’s dangerous.” Kili huffed and rolled back over, snuggling down into his bed once more. “Listen to me when I’m talking to you,” Thorin grabbed Kili and rolled him over to face him, “where did you get this?”

Kili was wide awake now, staring at his uncle “the library,” he said, “where else?”

“Well you return it immediately, you should not be meddling in things you do not understand.”

“Well that’s exactly what I’m trying to do,” Kili remarked, hopping out of bed and attempting to snatch the book from Thorin’s hands. The eldest took Kili’s wrist roughly in his calloused hand, Kili yelped. “You take this back,” he said through gritted teeth. Kili narrowed his eyes, “whatever you say, uncle,” he spat.

Thorin released him harshly and Kili stumbled backwards into his bed, the book thrown at his feet.

 

~

 

He didn’t return the book, well not just yet. He couldn’t. He remembered the page about the skeleton keys and flipped to it hastily. Kili read the scrawled handwriting:

_Skeleton Keys: used by necromancers and practicers of necromancy for centuries. Used to lock magic boxes called Calthos (page 348). The keys mainly come in groups of five which are scattered across the land in which the necromancer wants them to be. Find all five and that certain necromancer should appear to the person(s) who found them, and he shall in turn tell them what to do with the keys._

Kili was numb, his mouth hung open and he shut it quickly when he noticed and turned to page 348, _Calthos_.

 

~

 

“Calthos are boxes, Fili, that hold parts of either animals, toys, puzzles, or... bodies.”

Kili explained to Fili later on that day. He wasn’t sitting on his log, but rather standing; he was too excited and scared to sit; not to mention jumpy.

“H-human bodies?” Fili gulped, and his brother nodded. “If I weren’t dead I think I’d be sick.”

Kili smiled, and looked Fili in the eyes, “that’s the kicker,” he began, and Fili gave him a strange look. The youngest continued “I don’t think you’re dead.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just incase you guys don't know, this is what a skeleton key looks like: http://cdn.jaysonhome.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/h/g/hg139034.jpg
> 
> Anyways, tell me what you think!! :)


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